Public Information

I hope not, that’s a real intrusion into people’s lives.

If somebody is legally receiving a benefit that they are entitled to, it’s nobody else’s business.

izzythepush-

Thank you.

I don't share your view. I believe that there are people who are enrolled with various government agencies to receive benefits though they are not eligible to receive those benefits.

If any citizen could view the names of those on these programs it could act as a check on such ineligible persons.

In New York State any person can view the names of individuals and organizations that receive various payments from New York government agencies.

Organisations are different, but people’s privacy is something else entirely.

It sounds like you just want to snoop on your neighbours.

Do you also holler at your neighbors who pull out a cell phone while paying for groceries with food stamps? Because a lot of those people have phones through charity. Or they may have had them before misfortune struck. You don't know who needs a cell phone as their only way to get online to apply for jobs - will you begrudge them checking on their kids to make sure they're okay?

If you think welfare fraud is being committed, the place to go is the cops so they can investigate if there's merit to your claims. It's not through sticking your nose into other people's private lives.

Gollum,

Should I be able to view your tax returns? (If yes, you can post an image here).

izzythepush-

Thank you.

I have read of many scandals where a person was receiving income from the government that he wasn't entitled to. I think that this is a legitimate issue that affects all members of society. If an individual's income from government programs were public, it would provide "a thousand eyes" to expose a wrongful payment and blow the whistle, thereby protecting the public treasury (i.e., all of us).

I believe that this is distinct from my allegedly wanting to snoop on my neighbors.

1) I suspect you are reading propaganda. I don't believe this is the problem you have been led to believe it is.

2) I find the prospect of my neighbors spying on me to be quite frightening. I don't want "a thousand eyes" poking in my business.

I asked you if you would want your tax returns publicly available. Would you?

Why just benefit fraud, why not tax fraud which costs significantly more?

You are someone who views poverty as a crime, regardless of whether or not they are legitimate.

I see you’ve not answered Max’s question.

Should your income be made public?

Should people be able to look it up to make sure you’re not defrauding the government?

Let’s face it tax cheats often point out benefit claimants as undeserving scroungers to get them to look the other way.

I don’t know about America but I doubt the figures are that much different over there. When I worked for the DSS we were told that for every pound spent on benefit fraud you get a pound back. For every pound spent on tax fraud you get six pounds back.

jespah-

Thank you.

I do not "also" holler at my neighbors who pull out a cell phone while paying for groceries with food stamps. (I'm not sure what "also" refers to, I am respectful to all people."

You are correct that I don't know who needs a cell phone and I do not begrudge them checking on their kids to make sure they're okay.

I have no knowledge of the commission of welfare fraud. I think that if I did I would report it to the Department of Social Services.

I think that your allusion to my allegedly sticking my nose into other people's "private" lives is wrong on many levels. I will answer as to one aspect. I do not think that an individual's receipt of government funds should be viewed as totally a private matter. All of the taxpayers dipped into their wallets to fund those payments.

The cops (or DSS) can not investigate my claims if I don't have access to the government payment data in the first place.

I read about a person on a disability pension who was photographed by the local newspaper performing athletics inconsistent with a disability pension.

As an aside, in Norway all tax returns are public.

Your ignorance shows, social services don’t deal with benefits. They’re social workers, they don’t deal with money. That’s Social Security. As has already been pointed out, you seem terribly ill informed.

maxdancona-

I fear making all tax returns public might lead to kidnapping. Other than that, I favor making them public.

Norway provides for the public dissemination of tax returns.

They also have what has been described as the most generous benefits system in the World.

That’s what happens when you target tax fraud.

izzythepush-

In New York City where I live "welfare" is handled by the Department of Social Services.

Kidnapping? Bollocks.

All those criminals suddenly putting two and two together and realising that the people living in a palace are earning a lot of money. Without public tax returns they never would have known.

You don’t half talk tripe.

As for the alleged individual claiming disability pension being photographed taking part in Sports, he was caught. The system works, what’s your ******* point?

Welfare is a loaded term, and quite offensive, but that’s about right for you.

You vilified the Central Park 5, and now you have a problem with people on benefits.

Have you ever read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?

If so, did you see Scrooge as the poor hero horribly tormented by godless liberal spirits, condemned to the horrible fate of actually giving a **** about someone else?

And Mr Potter is the hero in It’s a Wonderful Life.

izzythepush-

One point is that giving the data to the members of the public enables them to see and report those who are stealing from the public treasury. Also, the public is not paid to provide this information so it is a low-cost way to protect the public treasury.

If you suspect fraud, tell the appropriate people.

What you want to do is punish people and publicly shame them by making their poverty public. Why not go the whole hog and make them ring a bell shouting ‘Unclean,’ or make them wear a badge of some kind.

Maybe benefit claimants should a chip fitted that monitors how much alcohol, drugs and cholesterol they consume.

izzythepush-

If I know an able-bodied person and see his name on a list of people receiving disability benefits, I would tell the appropriate people.

If I am not allowed to see the list of persons receiving disability payments, then I can not report anything and the fraud likely will continue.

You would really favor making tax returns public?

I think that would be horrible... no one has the right to know my financial business.

I strongly disagree with you. I value my privacy.